Plate-tightening device



J. P. IVICBRIDE.

PLATE TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLxcATloN man sEPT.23.191zs` 1,304,895. Patented May 27, 1919.

-Ffg 3.

WM BW \4 ATTORNEY FICE- JAMES P. MCBRIDE, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

PLATE-TIGHTENING DEVICE.

Application led September 23, 1918.

To all wiomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. MCBRIDE, citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county ,of King and State of Washington,have `invented certain new and use-ful .Improvements in Plate-TighteningDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in plate tightening devices andhas for its principal object to improve upon my previous applicationSerial No. 249,920, in that, I provide improved and novel means for`tight- -ening the plates without the necessity of passing a stemthrough coperating holes in a pair of plates; to provide improved meansfor holding the plates in tight contact after a bolt has been passedthrough coperating holes while the nut on the said bolt is tightened up.It has been found that too much time is lost in passing the stem of thedevice as shown in my previous application through the cooperating holesand fastening a nut on the inside before tightening up and it hasfurther been found advisable to provide some means for finallytightening up bolts which have already been passed through the platesand which it is impossible to quickly and eiiciently tighten in theusual manner with a wrench. My device as herewith shown is an auxiliaryarrangement to be used in connection with the device as shown in myprevious application and is designed to accomplish the objects `asvherewith set forth.

Other objects will appear as my invention is more fully explained in thefollowing specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of my device shownattached to a fragment of a fluid cylinder and stem, with parts. brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thefork of the device as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a yokeas shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings numeral 1 indicates aportion of a hydraulic or other fluid pressure cylinder which isprovided with a. threaded stem 2 and a cap 3 similar to the sameelements shown in m previous application referred to above. nut 4 screws.on to the lower threaded end of the stem 2 which projects iSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

serial No. 255,359.

passed through coperating holes in the saidv plates. A nut 8 on bolt 7holds the plates together. In order to avoid the tedious and sometimesalmost impossible job of drawing the plates 5 and 6 tightly together bymeans of bolt 7 and nut 8 I provide the fork 9 having aplurality o flegs which'has a central opening 10 at right angles to the surface ofthe plates .and through which stem 2 is passed. The nut 4 on stem 2holds the fork from dropping off of the stem.y A yoke 11 is providedwith a hole 12 through its upper jaw and a slotted hole 13 through itslower jaw. The lower end of stem 2 passes through the hole 12; thus thenut 4 holds the yoke inv coperation with the stem and prevents theiraccidental separation. In operation an auxiliary nut 14 is threaded onto the end of bolt 7 and the slotted end of the yoke is slipped over thebolt 7 inside the nut 14 while the legs of the fork 9 are brought incontact with the surface of one of the plates. When the pressure isapplied to cylinder 1 the stem 2 is drawn into the cylinder withconsiderable pressure and the re-action of the cylinder is against thetop of fork 9 and through the fork against the outer plate 6 while thepull of the piston is transferred through the yoke 11 to the bolt 7whose head bears against the inner plate 5, thus drawing the twoplatestightly together. While the plates are thus held the nut 8 isscrewed down tightly without acting against the resistance of theplates. This screwing down of the nut 8 can easily be done by hand eX-cept for the final half turn which sets it up tight. Immediately uponthe release of the pressure in cylinder 1 the yoke is slipped frombeneath the nut 14 and the device is ready for another operation. Mydevice is removably attachable to the bolt 7 and may be used for drawingany two members other than plates together while bolting .up is beingdone. The simplicity of the construction, ease of attachment and'quickoperation are the important features of my device which is now beingused extensively in ship construction in the bolting up process. Muchtime is saved 'over the usual methods of bolting up by use of my device.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I amaware described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is

Claims: l. In a device for pulling together a pair of members which areheld loosely together by means of a bolt -and nut passing there.

through, the combination of a pressure cylinder having a cap, a stempassing therethrough, means intermediate the said cap and one of thesaid members for holding the cap and said member in spaced relationship,means for engaging the said stem and the said bolt, whereby a pullingforce acting on the said stem is transferred to the said bolt /andthence to'one of the said plates and the re-action of the said pullingforce is transferred to the other of the said plates through the saidspacing means.

, 2. In a device for drawing a pair of plates together, the combinationofa pressure cylinder having a cap and threaded stem extending throughand beyond the said cap, a fork member intermediate the saidl cylinderand plates, a bolt passing through coperating holes inthe said plates,and means for engaging the outer end of the said stem and the extendedend of the said bolt, whereby a pulling force on the said stemis-transferred to the said bolt and the re-acting force of the cylinderis brought against the said plates through the fork.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a iuid pressurecylinder, a threaded stem extending beyond one end of the said cylinder,a fork slidably mounted on the said stem, andl a yoke removably attachedto the said stem and adapted to en-` gage a bolt, whereby When the forkis in contact with the object in which the bolt is secured a pull may beexerted-upon the said bolt.

In testimony whereof I afix my'signature in the presence of a Witness.

JAMES P.` MCBEIDE.A

